Coin distributor



Aug. 11, .1970 R. D. WYLIE COIN DISTRIBUTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1967 YINVENTOR. RICHARD D. WYLIE ATTO RNEY Au .'11, 1970 R D. WYLIE COIN DISTRIBUTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 12, 1967 FIG. -3-

INVENTOR. RICHARD D. WYLIE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,523,399 COIN DISTRIBUTOR Richard D. Wylie, Galfney, S.C., assignor to Deermg Milliken Research Corporation, Spartauburg, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed Oct. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 674,924 Int. Cl. B65b 57/00 U.S. Cl. 53-77 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application discloses a coin handling device which receives a predetermined number of coins from a coin source and evenly supplies the coins to a coin wrapping machine in a manner such that the coins drop vertically but stay substantially in a horizontal plane.

This invntion relates generally to coin handling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus which maintains the coins being handled in a substantially horizontal plane.

Coin counting machines which deliver a predetermined number of coins to a transfer tube are commercially available. From the transfer tube the coins are then delivered to a wrapping position, where, in any desired manner, the coins are wrapped for delivery to the consumer. Some of these systems drop the coins from the transfer tube to the wrapping station and in doing so one or more coins, during the descent from the transfer tube to the wrapping station, turn so that it drops with the face of the coin in a vertical position. These coins tend to cause malfunctions at the wrapping station due to misalignment of the coins resulting in a shut down of the system while the operator corrects the situation.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a coin handling apparatus which will transfer the coins to a wrapping station in proper alignment for eflicient wrapping.

Another object of the inevntion is to provide a coin handling apparatus which transfers coins from a transfer station to a wrapping station with the coins remaining in a substantially horizontal plane as they are being transferred.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved coin handling apparatus.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section view taken on line 1-1 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the new and improved coin handling apparatus showing the coin gate in closed position and FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 except the coin gate is shown in the open position.

Looking now to the drawings and especially FIG. 1, a predetermined number of coins are shown in the transfer tube 12 ready to be supplied to the wrapping apparatus 14 through tube 16. The predetermined number of coins 10 are automatically supplied to the transfer tube 12 by any suitable coin counting machine (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the coins 10 are held in the transfer tube 12 by the U-shaped coin gate, generally designated 18, which has platform portions that project under transfer tube 12 to support the coins 10 in the tube 12. Coin gate 18 consists basically of two generally U-shaped members 22 which are pivotally secured to posts 24 that in turn are secured to the machine frame 26. A spring member 28 is connected to the members 22 to bias them into engagement with oneanother in coin supporting position.

Arm portions 30 of U-shaped members 22 are connected to actuator 32 in overlapping relationship by the projection of the post 34 through oversize holes 36 in the arm portions 30. Holes 36 are oversize to provide freedom of movement of the members 22 and to prevent binding of movement when actuated. Post 34 is connected to actuator 32 in any suitable manner.

Actuator 32 is elongated at 38 to provide a means for manual actuation of the coin gate 18. At the other end, actuator 32 is connected to a stub shaft 40 which through elliptical spring clips 42 are connected to another stub 44. Stub shaft 44 is secured to the solenoid plunger 46 which is operably associated with the solenoid 48. The spring clips 42 allow universal movement of the actuator 32 and insures that the actuator 32 will be properly seated to pivot the U-shaped member 22 of the coin gate 18. Solenoid 48 is secured to the machine frame 26 in any suitable manner such as support member 50 which is held to the frame 26 by suitable means such as screws 52.

OPERATION Looking now to FIG. 2 the apparatus is shown in the position where the spring 28 is biasing the platform portions 20 of the coin gate 18 into engagement with each other to support a column of coins thereabove. The solenoid 48 is not actuated so the plunger 46 is held in the position shown by the post 34 through the action of the spring 28.

When it is desired to drop the coins 10 into the tube 16 to transfer them to the wrapping station 14 the solenoid 48 is actuated and the plunger 46 is pulled into the position shown in FIG. 3. This causes the actuator 32 to be pulled towards the solenoid pivoting both the U-shaped members 22 at their pivot points 24 to swing the platform portions 20 outwardly against the bias of spring 28 to allow the coins 10 to drop into the tube 16. When the coins have all dropped into the tube 16 the solenoid 48 will be deactuated and the spring 28 will pull the U-shaped members 22 back together causing the members 22 to pivot around the posts 24 to pull the plunger 46 outwardly to assume the position shown in FIG. 2.

Looking at FIG. 2 it can be seen that the coins 10 sit evenly on both the platform portions so that as the portions 20 move outwardly the same amount of the bottom portion of the bottom coin will be engaged by each of the platform portions 20. When the platform portions 20 have moved outwardly a sufiicient distance both sides of the bottom of the bottom coin will be disengaged at the same time allowing the coin to drop vertically on a horizontal plane into the tube 16. This action tends to cause the coins to drop correctly into position at the wrapping station 14.

It should be kept in mind that the herein described operation is continuous and fairly rapid and to further enhance the efiiciency of this operation there is provided a microswitch 54 which is mounted above the coin gate 18 which engages the upstanding wall member 56 of a flange member 58 when the coin gate 18 is open (FIG. 3) to make the switch 54 to energize the coin counter (not shown) to cause the coin counter to drop another group of a predetermined number of coins into the transfer tube 12 when the coin gate 18 closes. Preferably the flange member is mounted as shown on the inside of one of the arms of the coin gate 18.

As discussed briefly the actuator 32 has an elongated portion 38 for manual actuation of the coin handling apparatus. It can be seen that pushing the portion 38 towards the solenoid will cause the coin gate 18 to open against the bias of spring 28.

Y "The herein described coin handling apparatus is simple in construction, efficient in operation and provides the,

and} desire to be limited only by the scope of the means.

I claim: 1. .Coin handling apparatus comprising: a coin transfer tube, a coin wrapping machine supported below said coin transfer tube, a coin gate means substantially horizontally mounted below said coin transfer tube and above i said coin wrapping machine, said gate means including at least two pallet members pivotally mounted and biased toward one another to support a stack of coins thereabove; means to pivot said pallet members away from each other to drop a stack of coins into said coin wrapping machine when 1 desired and means operably associated with said pallet members to automatically start the delivery of coins into .saidutransfer tube when said pallet'members are allowed to close.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said means to pivot said pallet members is a solenoid actuated member;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,864,386 12/1958 Allen 53- 254 X 2,882,664 4/1959 Reis 53-212 3,000,160 9/1961 Speggiorin et al. 53212 3,382,647 5/1968 Davey et al 53-159 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner U.S. c1. X.R. 53-454 

